-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Reflections, Research, and Resources for Good Practice

Thursday, 14 May 2015

Global Integrators--9

Charting Your Course

in the Missio Dei-Mundi

We think that the time is coming for a diversity of colleagues to come together intentionally, visibly, and practically on behalf of global integration (GI). GI put simply is how we skillfully integrate our lives and values on behalf of the issues facing humanity. Likewise we think that the time is coming for colleagues to carefully reflect and act on what it means to be good global learners-practitioners--to seriously consider what it means to be what we are calling global integrators (GI-People).

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Three Suggestions for
Charting Your Course

One of the key activities for global
integrators is connecting and contributing across sectors. As per the model and
emphasis in Global Member Care (volume 2) crossing sectors is seen as an important developmental phase now for
the member care field. Three of the international sectors relevant for member care
are the humanitarian, health, and human resources sectors.Here
are three suggestions to further orient us to crossing sectors, described in
terms of issues, involvements, and influences.

1.Issues—Pursue your Passions.

What issues matter to you the most? What are you
passionate about? What are you naturally motivated to learn more about? Take it further by exploring
what is happening in your areas of interest within other sectors. For example,
if you are interested in interpersonal conflict resolution, take a look at the
burgeoning area of peace studies and/or human security. Be prepared to
expand your “experiential boundaries,” knowing that it can be a bit
uncomfortable but also rewarding. It may take time and effort to significantly
connect and contribute. Don’t go alone but get involved with others. Find
compatible colleagues with similar interests and key groups and networks in
which you can be part.2.Involvements—Till the Terrain.

What types and levels of involvement are realistic for
you? Crossing sectors can be understood as a “continuum of
involvement” demarcated by the three "I's" below.

Informed----------Included----------Immersed

The continuum begins with more minor involvement in a
sector, such as reading the quarterly magazines from a human resources
organization about things like staff selection and people management (informed).
It then proceeds to a midpoint and the inclusion of a sector or parts of a
sector in one’s work such as travel health resources for preventing road
traffic accidents and malarial infections (included). The end of the
continuum could involve becoming a recognized part of another sector such as
working part time as a human rights advocate in a nongovernmental organization
or developing culturally relevant psychosocial support for victims of gender
violence (immersed).

.

Crossing sectors might get all of our
adrenalin flowing, but as we have learned, it requires clear personal
boundaries. If we light a candle at both ends, it gets used up twice as fast.
So too much of a good thing is disruptive and can certainly distract us from
work priorities. This means we may have to bypass many of the wonderful
materials/opportunities that come our way from different conferences,
organizations, disciplines, etc., and at times inundate our offices and email
boxes. Nonetheless it is still well worth the effort, provided that we draw our
parameters and pace ourselves well. Crossing sectors is a practice to
intentionally and carefully build into our lifestyle and job description.

3.Influences—Get a Grid.

What
has influenced your desire and ability to cross sectors?
The grid below can help you to get a better handle on some of the main
influences that have personally affected your involvement in crossing sectors.
To give you an idea, I have also listed some examples from my own life for each
of the six categories. As you review your past, you may very well get a better
sense of what your future course might look like (the last part of the grid).

.

•Principles/Beliefs

•Documents/Materials

•Organizations/Groups

•People/Models

•Milestones/Gravestones

•Other

•Charting
Your Future Course

.

Principles/ Beliefs

1.The “unity of truth” across time and subjects

2.The imago Dei as a basis for loving truth and peace

3.Moral duty and “blessed to be a blessing”

4.Resilient virtue is stronger than resilient evil 5.Human history has a direction and purpose

.

Documents/
Materials

1.Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations, 1948)

2.Doing Member Care Well (2002).

.

Organizations/
Groups

.

People/Models

.

Milestones/Gravestones

1.
Spanish classes and Latin America
(1970–83)

2. Integration of psychology and
theology doctorate (1978–84)

3.Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course (1981)

4.“We must develop a macro model for member care” (1990).

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Charting
a future course

1.Greater involvement in global mental health and with mental health as
mission

Note: Excerpts above are adapted from Chapter
2, Charting Your Course through the Sectors, Global Member Care (vol 2):
Crossing Sectors for Serving Humanity (2013) edited by Kelly and Michèle
O’Donnell. See the latest resources in the Updates section on the book
series website. For more ideas on crossing sectors, see the website for the Global
Member Care book series (see the section with suggestions for using volume
2):https://sites.google.com/site/globalmca/

Welcome to CORE Member Care

We work with international colleagues on strategic projects that support humanitarian, mission ,and development workers and their organisations.

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We post core materials thatreflect some of the current cutting edges of good practice in the member care field. The materials are intentionally chosen to help us think broadly, look into our own hearts, explore member care in light of current world events, and consider additional ways to ethically provide resources to the international humanitarian and mission sectors.*We seek to integrate the educational values of knowledge, virtue, and duty (eruditio, probitas, and officium) in all that we do.*The materials on this weblog are chosen to encourage us as learners-practitioners who are committed to cross cultures, disciplines, and sectors for mutual learning and good practice.*****